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Swap files are created and released dynamically and are saved in the /private/var/vm directory. Paging increases with physical RAM use: the more RAM in use, the more paging may be employed as you launch applications or open documents. The degree to which Mac OS X relies on VM depends on how much RAM you have installed and how much of that RAM is available, i.e. When you switch to an application whose memory has been paged-out to a swap file, Mac OS X performs a page-in, copying the application's memory image from the swap file back into RAM.
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To free RAM for other applications and processing, data is copied from RAM to a swap file.The use of swap files gives the appearance of the system having more RAM than is physically installed. Paging involves copying data between RAM and special files on your Mac OS X startup disk known as swap files. For a detailed technical discussion of VM management in Mac OS X, see the "Memory Management in Mac OS X" chapter of the Apple® Developer Connection document Memory Usage Performance Guidelines.
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To efficiently use your available RAM, Mac OS X employs a strategy common to all modern operation systems known as Virtual Memory (VM). The more applications you launch or the larger the files those applications work upon, the more physical RAM is consumed. Memory management in Mac OS XĪpplications and processing on your Mac require physical RAM to work. This FAQ, which is derived from a chapter from our book Troubleshooting Mac OS X, describes the basis of these problems and solutions for such. If you have a limited amount of either RAM (memory) or available free or unused space on your Mac® OS X startup disk, you may encounter problems including kernel panics, the inability to burn CDs or DVDs, or the apparent loss of application preferences. Problems from insufficient RAM and free hard disk space
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